In response to the request of many readers, we have produced a
general summary of the life of Jesus' mother, Mary. The
canonical scriptures (especially the Gospels) are the primary
source of information about the Blessed Virgin. Though limited,
there are several explicit references to Mary in Scripture. From
these comments, some additional facts can be determined. For
example, the reign of Herod the Great is mentioned, but its date
is not. The time of the reign of Herod the Great has been
estimated using non-Biblical sources.

Additionally, certain events from Mary's life are commemorated in
the liturgical cycles of many Christian Churches (e.g. Mary's
birth). Certain non-biblical accounts [of limited historical
value] have elaborated on the spiritual meaning of these events.
These accounts often tell us more about the life of the Church
than about the life of Mary. However, the integrity of the core
facts is assured by the guidance of the 'Spirit of Truth' in the
life of the Church.

Finally, there are a number of texts which claim to offer
detailed accounts of Mary's life. These include ancient
apocryphal texts never accepted into the canon of Sacred
Scripture and more recent accounts based on private revelations.
Scholars tend to dismiss the historical value of all these
accounts. The fact that these accounts tend to contradict each
other on certain points of detail proves that not all the
accounts are completely accurate. Further, the Church teaches
that none of these non-canonical accounts should be believed with
the certitude of divine faith. We will include the names of some
of the better-known accounts.

This page, maintained by The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute,
Dayton, Ohio 45469-1390, and created by
Omar Memon
, was last modified
Monday, 09/19/2011 16:33:43 EDT
by
Omar Memon
. Please send any comments to jroten1@udayton.edu.